NFL Draft Scouting Report: Carlos Watkins

Clemson
Defensive Tackle #94
6’3” 312 Senior

Lined up at 3-tech and end

Strength shows up on tape

Great bull rush

Needs to be faster off of stunts

Sometimes slow off the ball

Carlos Watkins hails from Mooresboro, North Carolina. He emerged as a starter for the Clemson Tigers in 2015. The senior wracked up 10.5 sacks this season and was a big part of a strong defensive front that helped Clemson win the National Title.

Watkins is one of the most athletic interior defensive lineman in this class. He moves his 312-pound frame very well. He has learned how to use his size to generate movement at the line of scrimmage and to move offensive lineman into the backfield. His strength and quickness helped him contribute to Clemson’s elite pass rush.

When looking at his ability to get in the backfield, he doesn’t rush it. Most college rushers get too far up field and they take themselves out of the play. Watkins was very disciplined and seemed to play with a solid understanding of the game of football.

When the play goes outside and he seems out of the play, he will give up and quit running. On some plays, he could have made some extra tackles if he showed some extra hustle. Another question regarding Watkins’ skill set is how else can he reach the quarterback outside of using a bull rush. When transitioning from the college game to the NFL game, he will need more pass rush moves than a bull rush to be effective on all downs.

Round value: Second

NFL Comp: Jonathan Babineaux

Watkins should go day one in the draft as the top three defensive tackles make a clear top tier among interior defensive linemen. All three of them should hear their names called. If not, Watkins will be a tremendous value early day two.